🔗 Share this article The Film Baby Review: An Astute Depiction of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order Capturing the urban restlessness and dynamic spirit of São Paulo, director Marcelo Caetano's gripping drama centres on those who live on the fringes of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; left behind by his parents, the impressionable young man seeks comfort in the arms of others. On an evening out with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Shrouded in the flickering glow of a XXX cinema, their first meeting is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of the sex trade and drug dealing. A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington provides not just his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness. In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as unmoored souls cling on to one another for momentary bliss. "The streets can be fraught with peril, yet they are also the space where they can discover chosen kin, too." A Complex Relationship of Love and Control Ronaldo is simultaneously a partner and a protective father figure to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by jealousy and financial instability. Threats from shady figures in the underworld pale in comparison to the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, symbolized by the hovering figures of police officers in the area. Baby is particularly impactful as a keen observation of the disenfranchised individuals who have been failed by the established structure. The film stands as a moving exploration into survival, found community, and the quest for self within a harsh urban landscape.